EU Law and Governance

What is the EU for? In light of the current state of European integration, EU law cannot meaningfully be appreciated without understanding the political, social and cultural context within which it operates. This textbook proposes a fresh, accessible and interdisciplinary take on the subject that is suitable for one-semester and introductory courses wishing to engage the reader with the wider context of the EU project. It situates the institutions, legal order and central policy domains of the EU in their context and offer students the tools to critically analyse and reflect on European integration and its consequences. With pedagogical features such as further reading, class questions and essay/exams questions to support learning, this textbook enables students to form their own informed opinion on whether the EU offers an appropriate answer to the many questions that it is asked.

Table of Contents:
Preface; Glossary of Abbreviations; Table of Cases; 1. Understanding EU Law and Governance; 2. The EU as a Bureaucracy; 3. The EU as a Political Union; 4. The EU as a Regulator; 5. The EU as a Legal Order; 6. The EU as a Market; 7. The EU as a Union of Citizens; 8. The EU as a Union of Values; 9. The EU as a Unity; 10. The Future of EU Law and Governance; Index.

About the Author :
Mark Dawson is Professor of European Law and Governance at the Hertie School in Berlin. His research focuses on the relationship between law and policymaking in the EU. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the European Law Review and co-editor of the book series Cambridge Studies in European Law and Policy. Floris de Witte is Associate Professor at LSE Law School. His research focuses on the interaction between EU law and politics, as well as on EU legal geography. He is a member of the editorial board of European Law Open and one of the editors-in-chief of the German Law Journal.

Review :
'Insightful and incisive, accessible yet profound, this book allows the reader not just to understand what the EU is, but to form an opinion on what it can and should be for. This contextual, critical approach is empowering, and befitting the dynamic project of European integration within which law occupies a privileged, and peculiar, position - as expertly explained by the authors.' Sacha Garben, College of Europe 'This is a rare kind of book that manages, both impeccably and attractively, to introduce the fundamentals of European Union Law and engage in a thoughtful reflection on the justifications and the underlying assumptions of European integration and its law. This book will contribute to a smarter, more critical and reflective knowledge of Europe and its law. A way to look forward with a clear consciousness of the achievements and shortcomings of today's Europe.' Loic Azoulai, Sciences Po, Paris 'This is an EU law textbook with a difference: it is an accessible introductory text aimed at students, but the authors bring their distinctive voices as critical and contextual scholars of EU law and governance to offer a keenly argued monograph, as well as a clear path through key questions of the 'why', not just the 'how', of EU integration. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, Dawson and de Witte enable readers to place the constitutional, institutional and substantive law of the EU into its wider historical, political, social and economic context.' Diamond Ashiagbor, Kent Law School, University of Kent